You Helped Me Once
by Colagirlsc
Summary: Regina has shut herself off after Cora's death. She blames herself and begins to realize that she will never be able to escape the Evil Queen. But when a mysterious young woman shows up on her doorstep, bloodied and beaten, Regina begins to wonder if she isn't actually as evil as she thinks she is. Can this girl be Regina's saving grace? Set after "The Miller's Daughter" 2x16
1. Chapter 1

**~Author's Note~**

 **I've been reading OUAT fanfiction for a while now but this is my first story. I have an idea of where I want it to go but I would appreciate any constructive reviews or ideas!**

Chapter 1

Regina sank onto her couch with a sigh and stared out the window of her study at the pouring rain. It had been a week since her mother had died. No. Since she killed her mother. She had initially been furious at Snow, but she soon accepted that this was all her fault. Everybody she had every loved had left her. Daniel, her father, Henry, and now her mother.

She poured herself a glass of wine. Empty bottles were strewn around the room but she couldn't work up the strength to clean them up. Even when Snow White had shown up at her doorstep, begging for her to kill her, Regina had just closed the door in her face.

Now she stared into the dark red of her wine and closed her eyes. _I wish this would all just go away. I've had enough of being here_. She chugged the glass and poured herself another. As she went to take a sip, she heard a knock at the door.

Regina eyed the door warily. If it were Snow or Emma, she wasn't sure she would be able to stop herself from burning them to a crisp. But she also couldn't help but think that it might be Henry. No matter how many times he turned her away, she would always be willing to take him back into her life.

"Who's there?" she asked as she walked to the door. No response. She turned to go back to the couch when she heard a thump against the door, as though someone had fallen. Her curiosity got the best of her and she opened the door.

Regina gasped at what she saw. A young woman was slumped against her doorframe. The girl's hair covered her face so Regina couldn't see who it was. It wasn't until she bent down to examine the girl's face closer that she realized the girl was covered in bruises and blood.

She took the girl by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Are you ok?" she asked. Receiving no response, she asked again. At this the girl moaned softly so Regina took it upon herself to help the girl inside. The girl leaned heavily against Regina's body as she was led to the couch. Once Regina laid her down, she stood back and looked at her.

The girl had obviously taken quite the beating. Regina cringed as her eyes traveled down the girl's body. She sighed and reached for her cell phone to call an ambulance. Just then the girl's eyes blinked slowly open. Regina jumped up.

"Are you ok?" she asked. The girl just grimaced. "What is you name?"

"Katelyn," she coughed. Regina saw blood in the corner of her mouth and picked up her phone again, but Katelyn reached up and stopped her.

"No," Katelyn croaked. "Please. No hospital."

"You have to go!" Regina responded. "I don't know what to do."

Katelyn gave Regina a pained smile before coughing again. Regina looked on worriedly as the girl's eyes drifted shut again. Just before they closed, Katelyn whispered, "You helped me once."

Regina's eyes flew open.

She remembered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

~FLASHBACK~

The queen's carriage jolted along the road through the forest. Regina was becoming more and more annoyed. Her day had not gone well. Her father looked at her with a sigh.

"Regina," he said. "Sweetheart. Did you really need to kill that man?"

"Yes!" she snapped back. "He was harboring Snow White. He knew what was coming to him." The carriage bounced as it went over another rut and Regina grimaced.

"I just want you to be happy," Henry sighed. "I worry about you."

Regina's face softened. "I know," she replied softly. Just then they heard the horses whinny and the carriage jolted to a halt.

Henry's eyes widened as Regina started to leave the carriage, rage evident on her face.

"Regina! Please! Don't do anything rash!"

But that didn't stop her. She stepped neatly out and walked around to the front.

"What the hell is going on here?" she yelled. "How incompetent are you fools?"

One of her black knights bravely stepped forward.

"I apologize, your majesty," he stammered. "Its just, well, there's a girl laying in the street."

Regina stormed around to the front of the carriage with Henry right behind her. Sure enough there was a young woman lying unconscious with her body halfway in the road. Henry gasped and went to examine her. He gently turned her over and Regina couldn't help but cringe.

The girl was covered in bruises and blood was seeping from a cut across her forehead. Henry gently shook her and she groaned as she opened her eyes.

"My dear," he asked. "Are you alright?" Regina rolled her eyes.

"Just put her on the side of the road and lets move on," she said. She turned to go back when she heard a weak voice.

"Please," the girl whispered. "He'll find me. Please help me." Regina stopped.

"Who hurt you?" Henry asked gently. "Who will find you? Did you know him?" The girl nodded as a tear ran down her cheek. Henry sighed when he noticed a ring on her finger. "Was it your husband?"

Regina spun around just in time to see the girl nod again and her eyes flutter closed. Before she could think twice about it, Regina ordered her knights to put the girl in the carriage. Henry and the knights looked at her in shock.

"You heard me!" she snapped and climbed back inside. They laid the girl on the seat across from Regina. Henry climbed in next to her and she was glad she didn't have to spend the entire ride back to the castle looking at his small, knowing smile.

~END FLASHBACK~


	3. Chapter 3

**~Author's Note~**

 **I really appreciate the follows, favorites, and reviews! It feels great to know people have liked it so far. This chapter has a very passing reference to rape, so be aware if that is triggering for you.**

Chapter 3

Regina sat back in shock. She remembered. This girl had somehow gotten to her back in the enchanted forest. And now she was on her couch.

She shook herself out of her daze and realized that the girl was soaking wet and shivering violently. Regina ran to the linen closet and pulled out a heavy quilt. She paused for a moment when she realized that, in order to get a good look at Katelyn's injuries and get her warmed up, she needed to remove her wet clothes.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said as she removed Katelyn's pants. Regina felt her stomach drop when she saw the bruises covering the girl's thighs and the line of dried blood down Katelyn's inner thigh. She forced herself to push the thought aside as she struggled to remove Katelyn's shirt.

Once she finally did, Regina realized that she was way out of her league. In the enchanted forest she had healed the girl with magic. But she had sworn to Henry that she wouldn't use magic, no matter what. At the same time, however, she knew she needed to help Katelyn. So she wrapped the girl tightly in the quilt and grabbed her phone.

Regina skimmed through her contacts. If things were different, she might have called Emma. She would probably know what to do. But Regina refused to speak to anyone with Charming blood.

Then Regina had a thought. Granny. They had always had an interesting relationship, but Regina had a feeling that Granny would be pretty good with injuries. She would have to be with a granddaughter like Ruby.

She called Granny and, after giving a very vague description of the problem, Granny agreed to come over. So Regina sat back, waiting, and watched Katelyn's chest slowly move up and down.

Granny entered the house with as much energy as the raging storm outside. She marched right up to Regina.

"What is going on here, girl?"

Regina just motioned for Granny to follow her into the study. Granny approached the couch and carefully pulled the blanket back from around Katelyn. She drew in a deep breath and began barking orders at Regina.

"I need warm water, towels, and any first aid supplies you have around the house. Oh and some dry clothes for this poor girl."

As Regina hurried to get the supplies, Granny pushed Katelyn's hair back from her eyes. She shook her head and began examining her.

When Regina returned with the supplies, she sat in a nearby chair and looked on worriedly.

"Don't just sit there," Granny said. "Tell me what in the hell is going on." Regina sat back.

"Her name is Katelyn," Regina began. "I haven't ever seen her around Storybrook but I knew her in the enchanted forest. When I was…well…the evil queen."

Granny looked up when she heard Regina's voice break. Granny knew that Regina had been trying hard to change for Henry. However, she quickly went back to her work when she saw Regina's face.

"One day I came across her in the road. Her husband had used her as a punching bag and, well, I guess I felt bad for her. So I took her back to the castle and healed her. And now she just showed up here and when I tried to call an ambulance she insisted on not going so, well, here we are."

Granny stopped her work and saw Regina's concern. She sighed.

"Well there is only so much I can do here. I'm worried there might be internal damage that I can't fix. She really should see a doctor."

Regina shook her head. "I'll watch her. I'll take care of her." Granny put her hand on Regina's shoulder.

"Take care of yourself too," Granny said softly. Regina started to reply but Granny stopped her, motioning to all of the empty wine bottles. "I know you're grieving, and that's normal, but take care of yourself." Regina nodded.

Granny turned to leave and, as Regina went to close the door behind her, Granny said, "I'll come check in tomorrow morning."

Regina thanked her and went back to the study, where she sank into her chair. She stared at Katelyn, who still hadn't woken. This was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

 **Sorry it has taken me so long to update again. I just finished my last class for my master's degree so I'm finally free and should have much more free time now! Dream sequences are in italics. The next chapter is going to be much longer.**

Chapter 4

~Flashback~

The carriage pulled into the palace courtyard. Regina didn't want everybody to see her helping an injured stranger; it would certainly mess up her image. So with a wave of her hand she transported herself, Henry, and the girl into an empty room near her chambers.

Henry looked on, interested, as Regina settled the girl in a bed. He had seen her face when she heard that it was marital abuse. Henry didn't like the think about the course of events that had made his daughter this way, especially since he did nothing to stop them. But Regina obviously felt something akin to compassion for this poor girl, and he was interested to see what she was going to do.

Regina looked the girl over a few times before lifting her hands. Soon they shone with a purple glow and Regina moved them over the girl's body. She could feel the magic flowing through her hands, but was surprised that it felt different than her normal magic.

Soon Regina slumped back in a chair. Healing had always worn her out, but this girl had been through a lot and needed a lot of help. Henry noticed and went over to his daughter.

"I'm fine," she huffed, trying to pretend that she didn't appreciate the gesture. Henry walked over to the girl and gently shook her.

"She won't wake up yet," Regina said and Henry turned. "She needs to rest."

"You need to rest too," Henry said and helped Regina from the chair. He walked her into her chambers and helped her into bed.

Regina felt her eyes closing and gave into sleep.

 _She could hear the sounds from the ball downstairs as she snuggled into her blankets. She had amazingly been able to leave without Leopold noticing, and she knew that as long as the ball continued she would be safe in her bed._

 _But when the noise ended, Regina felt her stomach clench. She prayed that tonight would somehow be different; that maybe he would drink too much and pass out. But his footsteps echoing down the hall told a different story._

 _He burst into her chambers and ripped the sheets off of her._

" _Are you trying to hide from me?" he yelled. Regina shook her head but still received a sharp slap to her cheek. She tried to hold in her tears as he ripped off her nightgown._

" _Just be a good wife," he said as he undressed. "This is your job."_

 _Regina closed her eyes and imagined that she was anywhere other than here._


	5. Chapter 5

**~Author's Note~**

 **So I have three chapters written ahead so I should be able to update every day for a while. Fingers crossed. Also the only part of this I own is Katelyn. Everything else belongs to ABC. Keep reviewing! It makes me want to write more!**

 **Warning: Mentions of abuse**

Chapter 5

Regina jolted out of her dream with a cry. She was covered in a cold sweat and breathing heavily. Seeing Katelyn's injuries yesterday had reminded Regina of her days with the king. And those were days she had tried really hard to forget.

She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked toward the couch. Katelyn's face was pale beneath the bruises and she was still asleep.

Regina got up and fixed herself some coffee. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths before she returned to her study. As she grabbed an apple, she heard crying coming from the other room.

"No…please…stop…no!"

Regina ran into the study to find Katelyn thrashing on the couch. Tears streamed down her cheeks and Regina worried that she would hurt herself further. She carefully pushed Katelyn's hair out of her face and gently shook her.

"Um. Katelyn. You need to wake up," she said. "Come on. Wake up. You're having a nightmare."

Suddenly Katelyn's eyes flew open. She tried to sit up but immediately cried out in pain and fell back down.

"What happened?" Katelyn asked.

"Do you remember anything?" Regina wondered. Katelyn frowned.

"I remember being out in the rain and going to somebody's door," she replied. "It's all kinda fuzzy."

"But do you remember why were out in the rain in the first place?" Katelyn paused for a moment before she nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Its ok," Regina interrupted. "We don't need to talk about that right now. But how are you feeling?"

Katelyn grimaced. "Not great. But thank you for helping me."

"Well you were unconscious on my porch so I didn't have much of a choice," Regina replied, and then kicked herself when she saw Katelyn's face and realized how that sounded. "What I mean is, I wasn't going to leave you out there. I'm just not always great at showing compassion."

Katelyn shook her head. "I don't think I knew what I was doing at the time, but I came here for a reason," she said. Regina noticed that Katelyn's eyes were drooping and her words were being drawn out.

"Why don't you rest?" Regina said. "I'll be right nearby." Katelyn nodded and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Soon after Granny arrived with food from the diner.

"How's she doing?" Granny asked, watching Regina pick at her salad.

"She woke up a while ago and we talked briefly. She obviously remembers what happened but doesn't want to talk about it." Granny nodded.

"Don't you worry," she said. "I'll get her to talk."

Regina looked down at her plate before sheepishly asking, "Have you seen Henry? Is he…well…is he doing ok?"

Granny sighed. It was obvious that Regina really missed Henry and Granny wanted to take that boy and show him this. She was constantly hearing how Henry spoke about his mom and she couldn't believe that he couldn't see how much she loved him.

"He's been at the diner some with Emma and Neal," she said and watched as Regina's face fell.

"His real family," Regina whispered. Granny decided to quickly change the subject.

"We have a visitor in town. Greg. He was involved in that whole mess with Gold and Hook and Belle out at the town line."

"He's still here?!" Regina said. "Why? Its too dangerous! What if he sees something?"

"It'll be ok," Granny said. "Gold is too preoccupied with Belle and, well, you won't leave your house."

Regina glared at Granny before looking back at her salad. "Let's just hope that he leaves before anything happens. That's the last thing we need to deal with."

Granny nodded before looking around.

"Where's the girl?" Granny asked curtly.

"Asleep in there," Regina said, pointing to the study. Granny stood up and walked over to Katelyn.

"I'll wait here with you," Granny said, and Regina looked surprised. "You shouldn't have to deal with any of this alone."

Regina turned so Granny wouldn't see the tears gathering in her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**~Author's Note~**

 **You may recognize some dialogue from Welcome to Storybrook. Needless to say, it and the characters do not belong to me. They belong to ABC. Keep reviewing!**

Chapter 6

By that afternoon, Katelyn was sitting up and talking a little. She was obviously in pain and was feverish after being out in the cold rain, but Granny didn't see anything that she considered too threatening. At this point Granny had basically decided that she was moving in to take care of Katelyn, although she also wanted to keep an eye on Regina and take care of her.

Regina and Granny tried to get Katelyn to talk about what had happened, but she refused. However, they did get her to eat some soup (with some serious coaxing from Granny).

Regina sat quietly in the corner. Although she spoke every now and then, she honestly felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn't often that she had people sitting in her house, talking and enjoying themselves.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Regina stood and looked around nervously. Katelyn looked at Regina with concern but then started coughing. Granny went to Katelyn and motioned for Regina to answer the door when the bell rang again.

Regina opened the door to find Emma standing there.

"Please just go away," Regina murmured and went to close the door but Emma stepped in the way. Emma walked right through the foyer and stopped when she saw Granny and Katelyn.

"What the hell?" Emma asked, confused.

"Is there a reason you just barged into my home, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, trying to remain calm.

"Um," Emma said, still staring at Granny, who had stood up. "Oh yeah, is Henry here?"

"No," Regina stated. "Isn't he with you?"

Emma shook her head. "He probably just ran of to find Neal or something. I just figured I'd check here." She continued to stare at Granny and Katelyn.

"Um Regina?" Emma asked. "What is going on? Who is that girl? What did you do to her?"

Katelyn's eyes got wide and Regina's face clinched in anger. Before Regina could speak, however, Granny jumped in.

"Now you listen here," she said. "You have no right to come in here and accuse her of hurting someone. I'll have you know she probably saved this girl's life. Now you have the answer you were looking for. You may leave now."

Emma had slowly backed up as Granny spoke and was now at the door.

"Ok. Well, bye," Emma said and practically ran out of the door.

Granny and Katelyn stared at Regina, who hadn't moved.

"Regina?" Katelyn whispered. Before they could do anything, she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

* * *

Regina appeared in the woods near the well. She had always been able to sense Henry and she knew he was nearby. As she rushed down the path, she ran straight into a man that she didn't recognize.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm Greg." Regina responded, flustered.

"Regina Mills, mayor," she said. "I'm looking for my son, Henry. Have you seen him?"

"In fact," Greg said. "I'm pretty sure I saw him going that way." He pointed toward the well.

"Thank you," Regina replied, and hurried away.

When she arrived at the well, she saw Henry standing with a stack of dynamite.

"Henry," Regina asked, approaching him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm destroying magic," he replied. "It's ruining everything. And you can't stop me."

Regina continued slowly toward him. "All that's going to do is get you killed."

"You just say that because you need magic," Henry shouted and lit a match. Regina quickly used her magic to make the dynamite disappear.

Just then, Emma ran up, followed by David and Neal.

"Hey Regina!" Emma shouted. "Get away from my son!"

"He's not yours," Regina said calmly. "He's mine."

"Henry, get away from there," Neal shouted.

Regina turned to Henry again. "There's no way to get rid of it. You can't just blow it up!"

"Magic isn't the problem kid," Emma responded. "It's her." Regina felt her anger boiling up again.

"It's not just her," Henry yelled. "It's everyone. Look what magic did to Mary Margaret." He turned to Regina. "Look what it did to you! It's ruining everything! It makes good people do terrible things!"

"And bad people," Emma added. Regina glared at her.

"Please," Henry begged. "It's going to destroy my family. Help me get rid of it."

"I can't do that Henry," Regina sighed.

Henry looked at her with disappointment and turned to walk away with Emma, David, and Neal. Regina stood quietly for a moment before disappearing.

From behind a tree, Greg smirked. He had recorded the entire interaction. He returned to his car.

"I'll find you dad. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

**~Author's Note~**

 **I'm going to the beach today for a few days so this will be my last post until I get back, but I'm planning on writing a bunch while I'm there! I don't own OUAT. ABC does.**

 **I am also interested in writing more about Regina. I would love to receive some prompts from readers! I don't write smut and I'm not a huge SwanQueen romantic shipper but I do love their friendship. Shoot some my way if you have them and I would be more than willing to write them!**

 **Warning: alcohol abuse, mentions of abuse**

Chapter 7

Granny paced the study in Regina's house. Regina had been gone for hours and Granny worried that she might have done something drastic. Granny had moved Katelyn into a guest room and gotten her settled.

By midnight, Granny had called Regina multiple times. She was sitting in the living room watching tv when she heard a crash upstairs.

She rushed upstairs worried that Katelyn may have hurt herself further. But Katelyn was sleeping soundly. Granny continued to Regina's room and pushed the door open.

Regina sat on the floor of her room holding a bottle of vodka. Her make-up was smudged and it was obvious she had been crying.

Granny sighed and sat down next to her. She sat silently, waiting for Regina. Finally, Regina spoke.

"He hates me," Regina whispered.

"Henry." Regina nodded. Granny continued. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He's just confused."

A tear fell down Regina's cheek and she tried to take another drink from the bottle, but Granny took it from her.

"You've had enough," she said and lifted Regina from the floor. Regina stumbled so Granny basically dragged her into bed. Regina let the tears fall as Granny grabbed a glass of water and a trash can to put next to the bed.

She sat on the bed next to Regina and rubbed her back until she finally fell asleep. Then Granny wandered downstairs and settled herself in a chair. She figured she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

Regina woke with a splitting headache. She groaned. Last night was rough. She staggered out of bed and into the bathroom. Her make-up was smudged, her hair was a mess, and she was still in her clothes from the day before. Regina rinsed off her face and changed her clothes.

As she left her room to go find some food for breakfast, she heard talking coming from one of her guestrooms. She peeked through the open door to see Granny comforting Katelyn, who was crying. Regina stood outside the door and listened.

"It hurts," Katelyn cried as she drew in short breaths. She was clutching her ribcage.

"Why won't you let me take you to the hospital?"

Katelyn coughed. "He works there."

"Who is he? The one who did this to you?"

Regina couldn't see Katelyn's response, but by Granny's reaction she assumed the answer was yes.

"We'll protect you," Granny said. "You must know that. Regina obviously would never let anything happen to you. Isn't that why you came here in the first place?"

"Back in the enchanted forest, Regina saved me," Katelyn said, pausing to take shallow breaths. "Something told me that she wasn't truly evil and she proved that to me. She took me back to her castle, healed me, and gave me a job there."

"Is that why you came here?" Granny asked. "Because you remembered that?"

"I'm not sure if I really knew what I was doing at the time. I was so out of it and I thought I was just running randomly but when I ended up here I knew I had come here on purpose. I know Regina thinks she is evil. I see her around town but I never thought she looked evil, even when we were under the curse. I just thought she looked sad."

Katelyn had another coughing fit and Regina heard Granny getting her a glass of water. Then Granny spoke up.

"Regina has been through a lot. I remember when she first became queen. She had a lot happen to her that led her to become who she is today. But I agree. She isn't evil. She just needs to recognize it."

Regina quickly ran back to her room and shut the door. She just stood there for a moment, the events of the day before and this morning running through her head.

After her encounter with Henry and the Charmings she had transported herself to her vault. Emma's words had swirled around in her head, repeating themselves over and over. _Magic isn't the problem. It's her._ Regina conjured up some alcohol and desperately tried to get the words to stop. But she would close still see Henry's disappointed face every time she closed her eyes.

But now she heard Katelyn and Granny saying that she wasn't really evil. How was it that they, of all people, practically strangers, could see that when her own son was so blinded?

Regina's thoughts and emotions finally became too overwhelming so she crawled back into bed. Soon she fell back asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**~Author's Note~**

 **Thanks again for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews. This is a short chapter but I'm posting two today and I have several more already written. I would also still love to get some prompts to write so send them my way. I ship OutlawQueen and SwanQueen friendship!**

Chapter 8

~Flashback~

Regina awoke in her chambers, trying to remember why she felt so drained. Oh right. The girl.

She called for her servants to come help her dress and then went down to the room where she had put the girl. When she walked in she saw that her father was there asleep in a chair. The girl, however, was awake.

The girl looked up and then paled as she recognized Regina.

"Your…your majesty," she whispered and tried to get out of the bed. Regina quickly moved to stop her.

"You should remain in bed," Regina said. "I was able to heal your wounds but you will still be weak for a while."

"Thank you," the girl stated sincerely.

"Now," Regina replied. "Who are you and how did you end up on the side of the road in my forest like that?"

The girl paused for a second and looked down at her hands before beginning to speak.

"My name is Katelyn, your majesty. I work in the village as a seamstress. I'm married and, well, sometimes when my husband has had a long day he goes to the pub and last night he drank too much. I guess I made him angry; I should have left him alone…" Regina held up her hand to stop her.

"Has this happened before?" Regina asked. Katelyn nodded. "Often?" Another nod.

By now Henry had woken up and was quietly watching the conversation. When he saw how Regina's fists tightened in anger he decided to step in.

"Sweetheart," he began, moving to join them. "How old are you?"

"Twenty," she responded. Regina turned and walked to the window.

"How long have you been married?" Henry asked.

"Three years," Katelyn murmured. Before either could say anything else, Regina interrupted.

"His name. What is his name?"

Katelyn looked at Henry with a frightened expression, but he nodded for her to answer.

"Robert Cobbles," she stated, "but please don't make me go back to him. Please I'll do anything." She was beginning to hyperventilate so Henry went to calm her down. Regina also walked over.

"You will never have to live with that bastard again," Regina said seriously and then turned and walked from the room.

~End flashback~


	9. Chapter 9

**~Author's Note~**

 **In this chapter we are going to get to see some things from Emma's point of view as well. Enjoy!**

Chapter 9

By the time Regina awoke, it was almost three in the afternoon. She rubbed her eyes, threw on some clothes, and went to check on Katelyn.

She found Granny still next to Katelyn, who was groaning and clutching her ribs. She was covered in a thin layer of sweat and Granny was dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth. When Granny saw Regina, she motioned for her.

"She's worse," Regina stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Granny said. "I think the fever is from being out in the cold rain but I don't know why her chest is hurting her so badly."

Regina frowned. Before she hadn't wanted to use magic, but after her encounter with Henry at the well, she wondered if this might be a way to show him that all magic wasn't bad. So she told Granny to step back, closed her eyes, and held her hands out over Katelyn.

A purple glow came from her fingertips, and although Regina didn't see it, Granny noticed that the color seemed lighter than usual. Katelyn's body shook for a moment, and then lay still. Regina opened her eyes just in time to see Katelyn do the same.

"You healed me?" Katelyn asked. Regina just nodded. Katelyn smiled and said, "Thank you."

Regina only nodded again, but then Granny said, "Why don't we all go to the diner and get some food? You need to work up your strength again." Regina and Katelyn both gave her a disbelieving look. Granny decided to rephrase.

"Get dressed. We're going."

* * *

Meanwhile, Emma sat in Granny's diner with Henry and Neal. She kept thinking about what she had seen at Regina's house. Who the hell was that girl? And why was Granny over there?

She saw Ruby cleaning the counter so she left Henry and Neal and went over.

"Hey Emma," Ruby said looking up. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you know why Granny was over at Regina's house yesterday?"

"Oh, she been there for a few days now," Ruby replied. "She didn't give me any details, just that Regina needed her help and that I was to keep the diner."

"What is going on over there?" Emma whispered, mostly to herself.

"Listen," Ruby said. "I know how you feel about Regina. And I can't say I really blame you. But for some reason Granny has always had a soft spot for Regina. They care about each other in some weird way."

Emma frowned. "Thanks Rubes," she said and returned to her table, where Neal was telling Henry about his fiancée, Tamara.

"When is she getting here?" Henry asked.

"Tomorrow," Neal said. He started to say more before he was distracted by the door opening.

Regina walked into the diner followed by Granny and the strange girl. The diner grew silent. This was the first time Regina had been seen in public since the incident with Cora. Emma moved to stand up but stopped when she saw Ruby shaking her head at her.

Emma could tell that Regina was uncomfortable, but Granny steered her and the girl into a booth at the back of the restaurant.

"Who is that girl with my mom?" Henry asked.

"I have no idea," Emma said. "She was at the mansion yesterday when I went by there looking for you but she seemed really hurt or sick or something." Before Henry could ask another question, Granny marched over to their table.

"Now," she said in a low but serious voice. "You will leave those two to eat in peace. Got it?"

"Granny who is that?" Henry asked. Granny sighed.

"Her name is Katelyn. Some guy did quite the number on her and Regina has been taking care of her."

"But why wasn't I informed?" Emma asked. "I mean, I am the sheriff. Shouldn't she have gone to the hospital? Who did this? And how is she here? Yesterday she looked terrible and now she looks fine!"

"We don't know who did this, other than that he works at the hospital, which is why she wouldn't let us take her there. And I'm pretty sure you know why Regina didn't want to call you." Emma cringed.

"And for your information," Granny continued, "Regina healed Katelyn."

"She used magic?!" Henry cried. "She's not supposed to do that!"

Granny just shook her head. "Miss Swan, I believe you and your son need to recognize that the world isn't black and white. Until then, please leave Regina and Katelyn alone." At that, Granny walked away, leaving a very confused table.


	10. Chapter 10

**~Author's Note~**

 **Warning for mentions of spousal abuse. Send me prompts!**

Chapter 10

Regina and Katelyn sat quietly and listened to Granny chew out Emma and Henry. Katelyn couldn't help but smirk when Granny put Henry in his place. But then she saw the look on Regina's face and went back to looking at the menu.

Soon Ruby had taken their orders and brought them their food. Regina ate her salad quietly but she noticed that Katelyn wasn't eating her food. She just pushed it around on her plate and kept glancing up at the clock.

"Katelyn, is something wrong with your food?" Regina asked.

Katelyn shook her head and Regina noticed that she kept glancing around the diner.

"Do you want to leave?"

"Yes," Katelyn whispered. "It's almost six o'clock." Regina was confused but concerned.

"Let me go tell Granny then we can leave, ok?" Regina said, putting her hand on Katelyn's tense shoulder. As she got up to find Granny, she ran into Emma and Henry on their way out.

"Sorry," Regina said, moving to go around them but Emma reached for her. "Don't touch me, Miss Swan," she snapped.

"Listen, Regina, I wanted to apologize…" Emma started, but Regina stopped her.

"I don't have time to have this conversation right now," Regina said and moved away from them. She heard Emma and Henry leave and a group of men come in.

"Granny!" Regina called. Granny came over. "Katelyn's acting strange; I'm going to take her home."

Granny nodded but then grabbed Regina's arm, her face suddenly serious. She pointed to Katelyn. Regina turned.

Katelyn was sitting at the booth, her face as white as a sheet. Even from a distance, Regina could see that she was trembling. And that Katelyn's eyes were locked onto one man who was now standing at the bar.

Regina hurried over to Katelyn and stood in front of her. Katelyn seemed to be looking straight through her and was beginning to hyperventilate. Regina recognized that signs of a full-blown panic attack, so she grabbed Katelyn and pulled her into the back of the diner.

Regina sat her down and grabbed her shoulders.

"Katelyn. Look at me. You need to breath. Take deep breaths." Katelyn looked at Regina with eyes full of fear and tried to calm down. "That's it," Regina soothed. "It's ok. You're ok."

After a few minutes, Regina had Katelyn sufficiently calmed down, but now Katelyn's eyes were filling with tears. Granny came in with a glass of water and sat down next to them.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Regina asked, rubbing Katelyn's back soothingly.

"It was him," she whispered. Granny's eyes got wide.

"The one who hurt you?" Katelyn nodded and took a deep breath before continuing.

"My boyfriend is a doctor and he and his friends come here every Friday night after work…"

"At six," Granny interrupted. "I know exactly the group you are talking about."

"So you saw him," Regina said. Katelyn nodded. Regina took a deep breath before taking the leap. "What did he do to you? Please tell us Katelyn."

Regina felt Katelyn tense and Granny grabbed her hand.

"We're right here and we want to help, child," Granny said. Katelyn took another deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"I was married to him in the enchanted forest," Katelyn said, casting her eyes at Regina, who had made the connection and had her fists clenched in anger.

"This wasn't the first time. He gets drunk and I do something to disappoint him. But this time was different." Tears filled Katelyn's eyes and they sat in silence for a moment waiting for her to regain her composure.

Katelyn took another deep breath, looked between Regina and Granny, and began.


	11. Chapter 11

**~Author's Note~**

 **Thanks for the response! Warning for spousal abuse and implied rape. Also, send prompts!**

Chapter 11

~Flashback~

Katelyn hid in her closet and listened as Robert stomped around the house. She knew he would be mad. He had the day off so he had been drinking all day and she had managed to burn dinner. Again.

So she waited in fear, hoping, no praying, that something would distract him. But as she heard him storm into the room, she realized that wasn't going to happen.

Robert swung open the closet door.

"There you are, bitch," he spat, and Katelyn could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Robert, please," Katelyn begged. "I can make you more dinner." But he didn't let her finish as he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the bedroom.

Once there, Robert threw her on the floor. She cried out when she landed awkwardly on her shoulder.

"Oh, shut up," Robert moaned and kicked Katelyn repeatedly in the stomach and ribs. Katelyn cried and tried to curl up but he once again grabbed her. Robert wrenched her up by her wrist and tossed her carelessly onto the bed. Katelyn's head hit the bedside table with a crack and she could feel the blood trickling down her face.

Robert spun her over with a malicious grin on his face. "Now prove to me that you aren't completely incompetent," he said as he stripped off his clothes.

Katelyn's head was pounding and her vision was blurry, but she continued to plead with Robert, even as he tore off her clothes.

"Please don't do this. Please don't do this. Robert I promise I won't mess anything up again."

"Shut up you stupid bitch," Robert shouted and punched her across the face. When she whimpered, he did it again. When she felt him removing her underwear, she kicked him in the stomach in one last attempt to stop him. Anger flashed through his eyes. He punched her on the temple and the world mercifully faded to black.

When Katelyn came to she was alone in her bed. Her entire body ached and by the pain in her lower abdomen she could tell that her being unconscious hadn't stopped Robert from taking what he wanted.

She winced as she tried to stand up. Her head and chest were killing her but she was determined to get away. Although Robert had hit her before, it had never been remotely this bad and he had never done anything without her consent.

Katelyn considered packing a bag, but then realized that she had no idea where he was or when he'd be back. So she slowly limped out of her room and down the stairs. Her vision was blurry and she almost fell a few times, but she somehow managed to make it out of the house.

Once outside, Katelyn began to panic. It was freezing cold and it was starting to rain. Her car keys were inside but there was no way she was going back in now that she was out.

So she stumbled down the empty street. It was late enough that there weren't many people out so she passed unnoticed. She was freezing and her entire body hurt, but she was determined to get as far away from the house as possible.

As she turned onto Mifflin Street, Katelyn felt herself beginning to fade. She stopped for a moment. She realized that at the rate she was going she was going to pass out soon. And she couldn't risk somebody finding her and bringing her to the hospital where he would easily track her down. She needed to find shelter and quickly.

Up ahead she saw the mayor's mansion. Regina. She had helped her before in the enchanted forest. Maybe she would do it again. So Katelyn staggered to Regina's front door.

As soon as she rang the doorbell she could feel the darkness closing in. Katelyn fell against the door and the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the door opening and Regina's feet.


	12. Chapter 12

**~Author's Note~**

 **Sorry for the delay in getting more chapters posted. I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter but here it is. Similar warnings as before apply. Dreams are in italics.**

 **Disclaimer: I own Katelyn. That's it. Everything else is ABC.**

Chapter 12

The three women sat in silence, which was only punctuated by sniffles from Katelyn. Granny hadn't let go of Katelyn's hand through the entire story and now drew the girl into a big hug.

Regina's mind was racing. She had noticed in the enchanted forest that she and Katelyn shared similar pasts, but this only confirmed that. Regina knew what could happen if Katelyn let this experience bring her down; she had experienced it first-hand with King Leopold. And she was determined that Katelyn would not share those feelings.

As they continued to sit silently, Granny noticed that Katelyn's breathing had evened out.

"Regina," Granny whispered. Regina looked over. "Katelyn's asleep. Poor girl wore herself out." Regina noticed that Granny's eyes were full of tears.

"I'll take her home," Regina said and she grabbed hold of Katelyn, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Granny wiped her eyes and headed out to tell Ruby that she would be with the mayor again tonight. There was no way she was leaving Regina and Katelyn alone tonight.

* * *

Regina poofed straight into the guest bedroom. Katelyn couldn't keep her eyes open, and Regina understood why. The poor girl was still weak from being sick and injured and then they forced her to relive the worst moment of her life.

But Regina was glad they had finally gotten it out of her. When Regina was married to Leopold, she had kept everything to herself. She knew that her father had suspicions that things weren't okay, but it wasn't until after she killed the king that she told her father about their time together.

As Regina put Katelyn into bed, she heard the girl stir.

"Don't leave me alone," she whimpered. Regina pushed Katelyn's hair out of her face.

"I'm not going anywhere," Regina assured her and settled on the bed next to her. Regina stroked Katelyn's hair until she fell asleep, and then soon followed her.

* * *

 _Regina found herself in the middle of a village in the enchanted forest. She turned around, confused, until she saw her royal carriage roll in. She backed behind a wagon and watched as the Evil Queen got out of the carriage and marched to the village center._

" _Robert Cobbles!" the Queen yelled. "Come out now!" A man drunkenly stumbled out of the local tavern._

" _Lady what do you want?" Regina cringed as she watched her counterpart freeze the man in place. The man's face was suddenly serious when he realized who he was up against._

" _Your majesty," he stammered. "I didn't do anything to you." Regina watched as the Evil Queen got up in his face._

" _You did nothing to me," she whispered. "But you know what you did. Men like you are despicable."_

 _Robert quickly realized how much trouble he was in and started to cry and beg. The Evil Queen just shook her head._

" _Pathetic," the queen said and snapped her fingers. In an instant, they disappeared and Regina found herself going with them._

 _They appeared in the queen's dungeons. The Evil Queen stood before Robert, who was chained to the back of a cell._

" _Don't kill me!" he begged. "Please don't kill me!"_

 _The queen smirked. "Oh I won't kill you. You need to suffer just like you made Katelyn suffer." At that she turned and left, ignoring Robert's pleas._

* * *

 _Katelyn looked around to see that she was in Regina's chambers in the enchanted forest. She was confused for a moment before she saw Regina race into the room._

" _Regina!" Katelyn called out, but Regina didn't seem to notice her. Regina looked afraid of something and Katelyn noticed that she looked younger than she had seen her before._

" _Regina!" Katelyn called again, trying to get her attention, but Regina seemed to look right through her. Katelyn watched as Regina sat on the edge of her bed. Regina's hands were shaking and her eyes were full of unshed tears._

 _Katelyn startled when she heard shouting from the hallway. Suddenly the door burst open and an older man walked in, appearing to be very angry. Regina shrunk back on her bed._

" _Leopold," Regina said. Katelyn's eyes grew wide. King Leopold. Regina's husband. Why did she seem so afraid of him?_

 _Katelyn cringed as she watched him walk over to Regina and stand over her._

" _Please not tonight," Regina pled. "I don't feel well."_

" _I don't care," the king said. "Its not your decision."_

 _Katelyn covered her ears and closed her eyes. She didn't want to witness this._


	13. Chapter 13

**~Author's Note~**

 **This is a short chapter. Sorry! But I'm working on the next one and it'll be longer. Nothing from OUAT belongs to me. If you have any prompt ideas about Regina, send them my way!**

Chapter 13

Meanwhile Emma was dealing with a problem of her own. They were growing beans so that they could all go back to the enchanted forest. However, they had decided that they were not going to bring Regina.

But after her run-in with Granny, Emma didn't know what to think anymore. Could they really leave Regina, alone, in Storybrook? That seemed a little extreme.

Henry, however, was completely clueless as to what was happening. He was just chatting away with Neal and Tamara, who had arrived earlier.

Emma had a nagging feeling about Tamara, but she kept it to herself for the moment. She didn't feel like being accused of being a jealous ex.

* * *

Across town, Katelyn jolted awake to find Granny in a chair next to the bed and Regina still asleep. Granny gave her a small smile.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Katelyn nodded. She looked at Regina then back at Granny. She bit her lip nervously before asking, "Granny? Was Regina, well, ever hurt by the king?"

Granny's eyes saddened.

"Yes, child. Much as you were. Why?"

"I had a dream about it," Katelyn said, "but it makes so much sense now."

"What?" Granny asked.

"Why, out of all of the people in the enchanted forest, she helped me.

Granny nodded. "You reminded her of herself and the help that she never got."

Katelyn smiled and turned to look at Regina. She leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

**~Author's Note~**

 **There is some dialog and action borrowed from the episodes Lacey and The Evil Queen. I didn't think of it, the writers did. I don't own anything.**

Chapter 14

The next few days flew by. Katelyn was doing much better now that she had finally opened up. Regina was also enjoying having Katelyn around as company. Granny wasn't staying with them anymore, but they still saw her often.

Henry, however, was still keeping his distance. Katelyn couldn't help but glare at him whenever she saw him. She knew it was immature, but she didn't care. She hated how much pain he was causing Regina.

One night as Regina and Katelyn sat in Granny's, the Charming clan walked in, although without Henry. They sat down at a booth where Leroy and Blue were already sitting and began talking in hushed tones. Every so often one of them would glance over at Regina and Katelyn.

"Why are they being so weird?" Katelyn asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"They aren't the brightest bulbs in the bunch," Regina sneered. "Who knows? Probably plotting my downfall again."

"But you haven't been doing anything!" Katelyn said. "I don't understand."

"Don't even try dear," Regina said, her mask slipping for a moment. "No matter what I do, they will never see me as anything other than evil."

Katelyn looked back at her sadly before turning back to her food. They watched as the Charmings left, got in their car, and drove out of town.

"That was weird," Katelyn said.

"Yes," Regina wondered. "Yes it was." She got up and pulled out some money. "Here. Pay for dinner and I'll meet you back at the mansion."

"Where are you going?" Katelyn asked.

"To figure this out."

* * *

Regina stood outside the diner in the cold wind. Once she was sure that nobody was watching, she reached down and touched the tire tracks from Charming's car. The tracks lit up and she began to follow them.

She followed the tracks out of town until they suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere. Regina thought for a moment then waved her hand.

A glimmer shone through the air and suddenly she found herself standing in front of a field full of beans. As she approached the plants, she realized that these weren't just any beans. They were magic beans.

Regina could feel herself getting angry as she realized what was happening. Those idiots. They were trying to return to the enchanted forest.

Despite the voices of Katelyn and Granny telling her not to, Regina decided to confront the Charmings about why this was happening behind her back. She focused hard on locating them and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Regina appeared silently at the docks and hid behind some cargo crates. David and Snow were talking not far from her.

"If we're going back to the enchanted forest, are we really going to leave Regina behind?" Snow asked.

"She's too dangerous to bring with us," David replied. "We have to leave her."

"But…Henry won't like it. She is his mother, despite all the horrors." Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were going away and leaving her here, alone.

"Mary Margaret," David continued, "those horrors will continue. Do you want to give her another chance, because every time we do, she…"

"Slips, I know," Snow interrupted. "What do we do?"

"Instead of a second chance," David said authoritatively, "we give her a choice – come back and live out her days in Rumple's cell, or stay here."

Regina choked back a gasp and quickly poofed back to the mansion. When Katelyn saw her, she stood up and looked at Regina.

Emotions rushed around Regina's head. She didn't know whether to be upset or angry or both. Finally, Regina's emotions released themselves in a blast of magic that shook the mansion to its foundations.


	15. Chapter 15

**~Author's Note~**

 **Sorry for the long delay in posting this. Between Outlaw Queen Week and my new job orientation I've been pretty busy. But enjoy!**

Chapter 15

Regina's ears rang and she tried to gain her bearings. She was still standing in the middle of her foyer but the inside of her house was destroyed.

The blast of energy had shattered all of the glass and ceramic in the living room, the lights were out, and there were scorch marks on the wall around her.

Regina shook and tried to control her emotions that were still running through her head. She took a few deep breaths and looked around.

 _Just breathe, Regina. Breathe._ She was starting to regain control but then she realized she didn't see Katelyn.

"Katelyn?" she said, worried. When she didn't get a response, she ran into the living room. "Katelyn? Where are you? Are you ok?"

Just then she spotted her slumped against the wall.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Regina ran over to Katelyn, who wasn't moving. She pulled Katelyn against her and gasped when she pulled her hand away from her head to find it covered in blood.

"Oh god," Regina sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks. "Katelyn, please wake up. I'm so sorry. Please wake up." When she still didn't get a response, she tried to summon up her magic to heal her. However, she couldn't get anything to happen. Her emotions were still too chaotic.

"Damnit," she said, and she poofed them to the hospital.

The people in the ER were understandably surprised when Regina appeared in the middle of the room but quickly jumped into action when they saw Katelyn. Regina stayed on the ground even after they wheeled Katelyn out on a gurney.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry." A nurse walked over to Regina.

"Miss Mills, are you alright?"

Regina looked up at her with tear-filled eyes and disappeared once again.

* * *

Katelyn awoke to a blinding light. She blinked a few times before she focused her eyes on Granny, who was sitting a chair next to the bed. Granny smiled when she saw her.

"Nice to see you awake."

"Where's Regina?" Katelyn croaked.

"I don't know," Granny sighed. "She apparently disappeared right after she brought you here." Katelyn closed her eyes and Granny grabbed her hand. "What happened, child?"

"She just appeared at the mansion but she was obviously upset about something. Then there was an explosion or shock wave or something but it seemed to come from her. And then everything went black."

Granny sighed again. Katelyn looked concerned.

"Granny," Katelyn said. "We need to find her. Something is wrong." She started to get up but Granny stopped her.

"You aren't going anywhere right now, girl," Granny said, pushing Katelyn back into the bed. "Doctor Whale wants to keep you overnight for observation. You have a concussion."

Katelyn lay back knowing that she wasn't going to get past Granny. But she was worried. Really worried. She had started to view Regina like an older sister and she knew that something was wrong. She just hoped that nothing else would happen before she could find her.

* * *

Regina appeared right inside her office and slid down the door until she was sitting. She sobbed, not caring if anybody heard her.

 _Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I always hurt the ones I love? Katelyn is so innocent, unlike me. I should be the one being hurt, not her._

She got up and moved to curl up on the couch, the self-deprecating thoughts still swirling through her head.

 _I can't believe they are going to go back to the Enchanted Forest and leave me here. Actually, I can believe. It's no wonder. I've never been anything but trouble for them. I've always been alone so of course it would make sense for me to be alone forever._

Regina couldn't stop the tears that continued to flow.

 _I wonder if Henry knows about their plan. I'm sure he does. He's the master of plans. He probably gave it an operation name and everything. It was probably his idea. He hates me._

Regina cried and cried until she finally fell asleep on the couch.


	16. Chapter 16

**~Author's Note~**

 **Here comes the action! I borrowed some dialog from Selfless, Brave, and True (2x18). I don't own it or anything other than Katelyn. I would be interested in writing more about Regina so send me prompts if you have any!**

 **TW for violence**

Chapter 16

Katelyn groaned as she opened her eyes again. She couldn't help but wish that Regina were around to heal her this time. Her head was killing her.

She looked around her empty room. She saw Granny's things, so Katelyn figured that she must have stepped out for a moment. She sighed and leaned back against the pillows, trying to find a comfortable position.

Just then, she heard the door opening. She looked up to see her worst nightmare standing in the doorway.

"No," Katelyn whispered.

"Hello, dear," Robert said with a smile on his face. "I've missed you."

Katelyn tried to get up from the bed but the pounding in her head made her dizzy and she had to lie back down.

"Get away from me," Katelyn said, her eyes scanning the room.

"But why?" Robert said moving toward her. "I'm here to help you. I'm a doctor, and you're hurt."

Katelyn screamed as loud as she could but her eyes went fuzzy and she couldn't do any more. The concussion was making it difficult for her to focus on anything and she was scared to death. Robert came over and quickly put his hand over her mouth.

"Shut up, bitch," he said quietly. "You seriously fucked up thinking that you could live without me. You're lucky to have me." Katelyn shook her head and tried to make the room stop spinning. Robert tightened his hold on her mouth.

"Now," he said. "You have two choices. Come with me or forget about ever leaving this hospital." Katelyn shook her head once again.

"Ok then," Robert said and wrapped his hands around Katelyn's neck.

Katelyn tried desperately to pull his hands off of her but his grip was too strong. She couldn't figure out why nobody had come in here yet after hearing her scream. Her struggling became weaker as she felt her consciousness slipping away.

She barely registered somebody running into the room and Robert's hands moving from her neck. She saw Granny's face appear above her and the last thing she heard before losing consciousness was her voice.

"Katelyn! Katelyn…"

* * *

Regina awoke to knocking on her office door. She wiped her eyes and straightened her clothes. She was sure that she looked terrible but she had stopped caring at this point. She didn't care about herself so she didn't care what other people thought either.

She opened the door to find Greg, the man from out of town.

"What can I do for you?" she asked tiredly. Greg gave her a creepy grin. Regina felt shivers go down her back.

"You know, I realized you didn't recognize me when we first me," Greg said, pushing into Regina's office. Regina stepped back, wary of what was happening. "But I recognized you, because you look exactly the same, Regina."

"Owen," Regina said. She remembered. The little boy who had showed her what she was missing in her life.

"Its as if no time has passed for you," Greg said, getting slowly closer to her. Regina backed away.

"Monthly juice cleanse," she said uncertainly. "Does wonders for the skin." She was starting to panic a little bit, but she was determined not to let it show. Greg seemed slightly unhinged.

"I think you know why I'm here," he said.

"I honestly don't," Regina replied. Greg grabbed her by the arm.

"I'm looking for my father."

"He left shortly after you did," Regina replied, trying to get away from Greg. "I never saw him again."

"People don't just disappear, Regina," Greg said, still holding onto her tightly. "I'm not leaving without my father."

Regina took a deep breath and tried to summon her magic to push Greg away. There was no use in trying to hide from him anymore. But she couldn't get it to work. She was still too upset about what had happened with the Charmings and Katelyn.

Greg laughed and pushed Regina to the floor.

"Magic isn't going to work," he said and reached up to grab a paperweight off of her desk. "Nighty night."

Regina felt the thud of the metal hitting her forehead. She felt the blood running down her face and into her eye. She tried to get up but couldn't. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was Greg dialing his phone.

"Tamara…yes…I got her…meet me at our rendezvous point."


	17. Chapter 17

**~Author's Note~**

 **Sorry about the time in between updates. The school year is about to start and once I get back in the swing of things and don't have to write as many lesson plans I'll be able to write for pleasure again more. Anyways. On with the story!**

 **TW for violence**

Chapter 17

Emma was standing in the waiting room of the hospital arguing with Granny, Neal, and the Charmings. She had been called in by frightened citizens who didn't understand why the bloody and frazzled Evil Queen had showed up in the middle of the ER with an unconscious girl and then disappeared just as quickly.

She was confused too. She thought that Regina and Katelyn had a close relationship and she couldn't believe that she would hurt her. Her parents, on the other hand, seemed convinced that Regina had turned dark again and that they needed to take quick action against her.

Emma tried to stand up against her parents, although Granny was doing a pretty good job of shooting down their comments. Neal stood there silently in front of his fiancé Tamara, who seemed to be taking the whole fairy tale thing pretty well.

Just then they heard a scream.

"Katelyn," Granny whispered and took off down the hallway. Emma and the rest were close behind her.

Emma passed Granny and was the first one into the room. She saw Katelyn struggling under a large man and without thinking she threw the man to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Granny run to Katelyn's side.

Emma looked down at the man on the floor. She didn't recognize him but she didn't care and she put him in handcuffs and pulled him out of the room where she handed him off to Charming and Neal.

"Take care of him," she said and ran back in the room. Granny was leaning over Katelyn and shaking her shoulders, but Katelyn wasn't responding. Emma could see the bruises forming around Katelyn's neck and for the first time she saw the extent of her head injury as well. The ugly red wound stood out in contrast to Katelyn's fair skin. Emma couldn't help the grimace that went across her face.

The nurse and doctor finally made it to the room and Katelyn slowly came to. Emma noticed that Granny's eyes were teary.

 _I didn't realize how close they had gotten. They've formed this odd little family of sorts, haven't they?_

Emma turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Neal and Tamara.

"Is she ok?" Tamara asked, but Emma couldn't help but feel that Tamara wasn't genuinely concerned.

"I don't know for sure but I think that's her boyfriend who beat her up before," Emma replied, looking over to the bed. By now, Katelyn was curled up in Granny's arms and sobbing.

"Ugh," Neal said. "I hate people like that." Tamara's phone rang and she looked down at the screen.

"Sorry, I'll just be a moment," she said and left the room. Emma slowly approached the bed, and Granny gave her a glare.

"Katelyn," Emma said cautiously. Katelyn looked up at her. "Was that the same person as before?" Katelyn nodded and then turned her head back to Granny. Emma decided not to push it and turned back to Neal. Tamara had just reentered the room.

"I have to go, Neal," Tamara said. "Let me know how she is doing." Neal nodded and Tamara left.

Katelyn spoke up again.

"Have you found Regina yet?"

Granny shook her head and Emma sat on the end of the bed.

"Did she do this to you?" Emma asked, pointing to the wound on Katelyn's head. Katelyn thought a moment before replying.

"Yes, but she didn't mean to. She was upset about something and sometimes when she's upset or scared or mad her magic goes a little crazy."

 _The Evil Queen scared. What would she have to be scared of? Well, we are leaving her here when we go back to the Enchanted Forest, so I guess if she found out about that…wait._

"Katelyn," Emma said seriously. "Did Regina show any interest in Snow or David recently?" Katelyn looked like she didn't want to answer, but Granny prodded her.

"Answer her child," Granny said. "It might help us find Regina."

"We were at the diner yesterday and Regina sorta left early so she could follow them," Katelyn said, her eyes falling to the floor.

"Shit," Emma said. "She found out."

"Found out what?" Granny asked.

"It doesn't matter right now," Emma said. "What does matter is finding Regina. Do you think she would be mad enough to hurt anybody else right now?"

Katelyn lowered her voice.

"She wouldn't hurt anybody, not on purpose." Katelyn glanced up at Granny who nodded. "I just don't want her to hurt herself."

"Do you actually think she would do that?" Emma asked. Granny looked up at Emma.

"She's not happy," Granny said. "She's angry and upset, and you and your family have done nothing but alienate her no matter what she does."

Emma stood.

"Take care of yourself. I'll try to find her."

* * *

Regina awoke to find herself in a cold room. Her head was pounding and when she reached up to touch her head, she realized that her arms and legs were strapped down. She could feel herself panicking but she tried to calm herself down so that she could magic herself out of there. But it wasn't working.

She flinched when she heard a door opening but she steeled herself. She refused to look weak against this man.

"Good morning Regina," Greg said. Regina just sneered at him. "Oh you're tough now aren't you? You didn't look so tough last night when you were bawling your eyes out."

"Shut up," Regina growled. Greg came over and fastened the restraints tighter.

"Well this isn't really about that anyway. No. This is personal. See, this is about my father."

Regina scrunched her eyes together, her head pounding from being knocked out.

"I already told you, he left town."

"Yet he never came to find his only son? I find that hard to believe." Greg walked over to a machine and began turning switches on. Regina only then realized that there were wires attached to her body.

"Is that supposed to frighten me?" she asked, sounding more nervous than she meant to.

"Well, it should," Greg said. "You see, this is how we deal with your kind. As yes, its going to be unpleasant. Now, exactly how unpleasant depends on you." He flipped the switch on.

"Now, where is my father?"

When Regina didn't answer, he pushed the button.

Regina had never felt such pain before in her life. It felt like a million hot needles were poking into her body. She bit her lip trying not to scream but it was one of the most difficult things she had ever done. It was probably only ten seconds, but it seemed like an eternity before the machine finally stopped.

Regina slumped down onto the table, breathing heavily. She tried once again to activate her magic, but it was futile. She could hear Greg asking her again but she tuned him out. When she heard the whir of the machine charging up again, she braced herself for what was coming.

This time, she couldn't hold back the scream.

 **~A/N~**

 **Sorry again for the delay! I'll try to update again soon!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 **~A/N~ Sorry for the extremely long time in between updates. I just started my first year as a teacher and needless to say it is EXHAUSTING and time-consuming. But I'm back and hopefully I will be able to finish this story this weekend.**

"Let me go!" Katelyn yelled as she tried to push past Granny. It had been six hours and nobody had any idea of where Regina might have gone. She wasn't in the mansion or the vault and nobody had seen her around town. Katelyn was sick of sitting in the hospital bed and was desperate to help.

"You have a concussion," Granny said gently but firmly. "You need to rest." Katelyn was quick, however, and managed to get past her.

"No. What I need to do is find Regina. Who knows what she's thinking right now?" Granny sighed.

"Ok, but I'm coming with you," she said. "Last thing I heard the Charmings were going to her office to look for clues." They left the hospital with Granny right behind Katelyn. Granny knew that the girl was stubborn but she didn't miss how pale Katelyn was or how she winced every few steps.

They arrived at the mayor's office just as the Charmings did.

"Did nobody think to check here earlier?" Katelyn asked. She was annoyed by the fact that Emma didn't seem too concerned. David only shrugged.

Katelyn let out an annoyed huff and opened the door.

At first glance everything seemed to be alright.

"Not here either," Emma said and started to turn away. But Granny stopped her.

"Something isn't right," she said. She couldn't explain it, but she could feel it in her bones. Something felt off.

Katelyn stepped inside the office. Regina's desk was tidy, not a paper out of place. But the couch was mussed and crumpled, like someone had laid there for a while. As her eyes continued to scan the room, she saw it.

By Regina's desk, a paperweight lay on the floor. It was small enough to miss at first glance but heavy enough to do some damage. Katelyn reached to pick it up but was stopped by Emma.

Emma suddenly seemed to be taking this very seriously. She picked up the paperweight with a gloved hand. As she turned it over, Katelyn saw what coated the underside. Blood.

"See! I told you she wasn't ok!" Katelyn said, standing up. She suddenly felt dizzy and swayed on her feet. She would have fallen if Granny hadn't come over and caught her.

"You need to calm down, girl," Granny said. Katelyn held onto her tightly but continued despite the pounding in her head.

"You didn't listen to me and nobody took me seriously when I said that something might be wrong!" Katelyn was breathing heavily at this point but she kept yelling. The Charmings stood there in shock. "You didn't even think to come to her office? We could have been helping her but who knows what's happening now. But it doesn't even matter because she'll always be just the Evil Queen to you."

Katelyn lowered herself to the floor and sat with her head in her hands. She could vaguely hear the sound of the Charmings talking over the ringing in her ears. It felt like somebody was driving nails into her head and there were dots swimming in her vision.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. After a few seconds her eyes were able to focus on Granny's face.

"We need to go back to the hospital," Granny said. "You are obviously not ok." Katelyn's eyes were going in and out of focus and the bruises around her neck were standing out even more.

Katelyn shook her head, but Granny wasn't having any of it. Granny motioned David over, and he picked Katelyn up. Katelyn tried to escape his hold but soon relaxed. The black dots in front of her vision finally blurred together and she fell unconscious.

 **~A/N~**

 **The next chapter will be all Regina so don't worry! I'm writing it tonight!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Regina's breaths came in short huffs as she tried to remain calm. Greg hadn't stopped and Regina could tell that she wasn't going to be able to take much more of this.

Greg pushed the button again and Regina's back arched off the table. She felt something pop, one of her ribs she guessed, but the pain all blurred together.

A tear escaped her eyes and she hated how weak she was, but she didn't know what to do anymore. She heard Greg behind her talking to Tamara but didn't register what they were saying.

 _This is it. This is how I die. This is how it ends._

Regina knew that she should fight it. She knew that she was stronger than this. But then again, was it worth it?

Henry hated her. Emma hated her. Snow and Charming hated her. She had nobody.

Well, she had Granny and Katelyn, but there was no way that either of them would trust her after what she did to Katelyn. She was supposed to be helping Katelyn, but here she was hurting her. Granny would turn against her. Katelyn would turn against her.

So why not just let Greg kill her? It would certainly make the townspeople happy. The threat of the Evil Queen would be gone. Forever.

Regina heard Greg enter the room again.

"Where is my father?" he asked. Regina shook her head. She could see the fire burning behind Greg's eyes but she egged him on. She just wanted him to do it. To kill her.

When he pressed the button again, she let out a silent scream, her vocal chords no longer working from the strain. Her muscles strained, her bones cracked, and her heart pounded. Mercifully she lost consciousness only moments later.

* * *

Regina found herself standing in the waiting room at Storybrook General Hospital. She looked around, confused. Suddenly, she heard shouting coming from down the hall. She followed the noises, seemingly on autopilot.

She turned through the halls until she reached a room where she found Katelyn, Granny, Neal, Gold, and the Charmings, all of who were arguing at the top of their lungs. Katelyn sat on the bed with her head in her hands. Regina saw the wound on Katelyn's head and took in a deep breath.

"Katelyn," Regina said and moved toward the bed. But Katelyn didn't respond. In fact, she didn't seem to hear her at all.

So she repeated herself. Still nothing. Emma was standing in her way, so Regina went to push her out of the way.

Regina fell right through her and onto the ground. She looked up to find that Emma hadn't even felt her.

 _Am I dead? Maybe he actually killed me._

But then Regina felt a shudder pass through her; a tingling sensation that moved from her head to her toes. She realized that she was feeling the shocks from Greg's machines but that she must be unconscious.

 _But is this real? Is this actually happening or is this just a dream?_

Regina tuned in to the conversation happening around her. Katelyn still had her head in her hands but she seemed to be listening.

"Well I don't know what else to do!" Emma shouted. "We've looked all over for her. And we don't even know that the blood is hers."

"Of course its hers!" Granny shouted back. "Some sheriff you are."

Just then, Gold silenced the room with a wave of his hand.

"I believe I may have something to help you with your situation," he said with his mouth forming a tight grin.

Granny tried to speak but couldn't. When she glared at Gold, he released the silencing spell.

"Why don't you tell us then? What is it and what's the price?"

"A spell. To help you locate Regina."

Katelyn's head shot up and she winced from the sudden movement. But that wasn't going to slow her down.

"Give it to me," she demanded. "I need to find her."

Regina was amazed. She didn't think that anybody cared whether she lived or died. But she was watching as Granny and Katelyn fought to help her. The conflicting thoughts in her head swirled around but she kept listening.

"Now now, dearie," Gold said. "There's always a price."

"I'll pay it," Katelyn said quickly. Granny immediately stepped in front of her.

"Like hell you will. You've done enough. Let us take care of it. You take care of yourself." Katelyn huffed but lay back into the pillows.

"I'll pay it," came a quiet voice from the corner. Regina's head turned along with those of everyone else in the room. Snow was sitting with her head down. She repeated herself.

"I'll pay it."

"Snow," Charming started to say, but Snow stopped him.

"No," she said. "I owe Regina this. We were going to leave her here. Alone. But now that she's gone I realize that I really want her to have a second chance."

The room was quiet for a moment. Regina stood in shock.

 _Snow is actually going to help me? What is happening? This must be a dream because this can't be real life._

Gold took a tear from Snow and held out his hand. In it was a small vial with an eyedropper in it.

"Who's it going to be?" he asked with an impish grin on his face. Snow tried to reach for it but Charming stopped him.

"No, Snow. It's too dangerous. We don't know what it will do!"

Snow hesitated for a moment and Katelyn looked around the room at the people standing there awkwardly.

"Oh for god's sake," Katelyn said and she stood up from the bed and took the vial from Gold.

"Katelyn, no!" Granny cried, but it was too late. Katelyn had wrenched the vial open and poured the contents into her own eye.

They stood for a second while they waited to see what would happen.

Suddenly Katelyn's eyes rolled back in her head and her body pitched forward onto the ground. David tried to catch her but was unsuccessful. Her body seized and shook on the floor while the rest stared in terror.

"Katelyn," Regina cried, knowing that Katelyn wouldn't hear her but still scared for the girl. Then she heard a surprised voice behind her.

"Regina?"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 _"Katelyn," Regina cried, knowing that Katelyn wouldn't hear her but still scared for the girl. Then she heard a surprised voice behind her._

 _"Regina?"_

* * *

Regina spun around. Katelyn stood behind her with a terrified look on her face.

"Regina? What's going on?" Regina walked toward her and tentatively reached to touch her arm. She could feel her.

"Oh Katelyn," Regina sighed. "Why did you do that?"

"I needed to help you!" Katelyn cried. But then she looked at Regina nervously. "How can I see you? Are we…are we dead?"

Regina shuddered as she felt another shock pass through her. One look at Katelyn's face told her that she was feeling the same thing.

"I don't think so," Regina said. "I think this is some strange side effect of the spell Rumple gave you."

They looked over at the scene going on around them. Granny was cradling Katelyn's limp body on the floor and shaking her, trying to wake her up. David had Gold pinned against the wall and was yelling at him. Gold just smirked at the scene.

Katelyn's eyes were wide but Regina realized that the spell might only last so long. She grabbed Katelyn's shoulders.

"Listen to me," Regina said. "Don't come after me. Its not worth it."

"I'm going to find you," Katelyn insisted. "And nothing you say is going to stop me." Another shock went through the women, causing them both to shiver.

"What the hell is that?" Katelyn asked. Regina sighed.

"Greg, you know, the stranger in town? He and Tamara have me somewhere. I don't know where; it's cold and smells weird. Fishy maybe. I don't know. But he's got me hooked up to a machine and I can't use my magic and…"

Regina's voice caught. She didn't want to show it in front of Katelyn, but she really was terrified. Katelyn's eyes were wide and a tear slipped down it.

"It'll be ok," she assured Regina. "I promise. I'll…"

Just then, Katelyn started to fade away from Regina.

"No!" Katelyn yelled. "Regina!"

"Katelyn, its ok!"

"Regina!"

* * *

"Regina!"

Katelyn sat up suddenly screaming Regina's name. Everyone in the room startled.

"What happened?" Snow said, bending down next to Katelyn. Katelyn's breath was short and her head was pounding but she breathed out as much as she could.

"Regina…they took her…Greg…she's hurt."

Emma gasped and bent down.

"Katelyn," Emma said. "Do you know where she is?" Katelyn shook her head.

"She said it was cold…smelled like fish…I don't know she didn't say anything else."

Emma took a deep breath and looked at David.

"The cannery," she said. David nodded.

"We'll get her," Snow said, and the three Charmings ran out of the room.

Granny and Katelyn remained on the floor. Granny pushed Katelyn's hair off of her forehead.

"What did you do that for?" Granny asked, but not in an angry tone. "That was stupid, girl."

Katelyn nodded but didn't say anything else. A tear slid down her cheek. Granny wiped it with her sleeve.

"They'll find her," Granny said. "You did good."

Katelyn's eyes slipped shut as she heard Granny's words echoing in her head.

"You did good."


	21. Chapter 21

**~A/N~**

 **We're nearing the end (I think). I'm currently stuck in my apartment because of the flooding in SC so I have nothing to do but write! Lucky for yall!**

Chapter 21

Screams echoed through the cannery as the Charmings ran in. Emma's eyes widened and they rushed in.

Meanwhile, Regina had regained consciousness, but only just. She could hear Greg speaking but couldn't understand what he was saying. She just knew that she was nearing the end. She wouldn't be able to make it much longer.

Greg laughed maniacally.

"You feel that!" he yelled. "That's the end of you." He pressed the button again and Regina screamed, unable to control herself. Greg smirked.

"That's scary ain't it!" He pressed the button again but then gunshots echoed through the room.

Regina tried to stay awake but it was useless. Her head was fuzzy and her body was in pain. She let the blackness overtake her.

* * *

Snow and Charming ran into the room where Greg was holding Regina. Snow cried out in horror at the scene in front of her, but David jumped right to action, shooting the machine and Greg and stopping the electrocution.

Snow ran to Regina and began unplugging the wires all over her. Regina's body felt cold and lifeless. Snow's hands shook as she tried to find a pulse and nearly collapsed when she finally did.

"Charming!" Snow shouted. David ran over. "She's alive, but barely. We need to get her help."

"Who's going to help her?" David asked. "Whale hates her. The Blue Fairy hates her." Snow took a deep breath.

"Let's hope Granny will know what to do," Snow said. "Let's get her back to the mansion."

David scooped Regina's limp body up in his arms, surprised by how light and fragile the former queen was. He and Snow called for Emma and practically ran out of the cannery.

* * *

By the time they got to the mansion, Katelyn and Granny had already gotten there. Granny had tried to stop Katelyn from checking herself out, but Katelyn was having none of it. She promised that she would rest back at the mansion but there was no way she was going to be in that hospital by herself.

Emma burst through the door followed closely by David. He rushed into the study and placed Regina on the couch.

When Granny walked in, she was struck with a distinct memory of seeing Katelyn in that exact same position when she had first become part of this strange trio of women. She had helped Katelyn then, and she was going to help Regina now.

"Move out of my way," Granny said, pushing past the Charmings. Katelyn leaned against the doorframe in the study and watched with bated breath to see what was going to happen.

Granny carefully examined Regina. She had nasty burn marks on her forehead and arms from where the electrodes had been attached to her. Her face was pale and she had deep, dark circles under her eyes.

"We need magical help," Granny said. "There's only so much I can do at this point."

"What happens without magic?" Katelyn asks, scared. Granny's face fell.

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Just then, Henry and Neal came bursting through the door.

"Where is she?" Henry shouted. "Where's my mom?" Emma tried to stop him but he pushed right past her and ran over to the couch. Emma looked to Neal and he shrugged.

"I tried to stop him but the kid is stubborn."

Henry grabbed onto his mom's hand.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked, suddenly sounding like a scared child.

"Why do you even care?" Katelyn asked, pushing off of the doorframe and walking into the room on unsteady legs. "You haven't cared this whole time. What changed?"

"I have every right to care!" Henry shouted, getting up off the floor. "She's my mother!"

"Yeah, you've certainly treated her so well," Katelyn sneered. The two were face to face at this point, staring each other down.

"She's. My. Mom." Henry said softly, but firmly. Katelyn stepped back.

"Then act like it," she said. She stumbled back into Granny, who helped her sit down.

"This still doesn't solve our problem," Snow said softly. "How are we going to save Regina?"

Granny just shook her head while looking down at Regina, who still lay there eerily still.

"I don't know."


	22. Chapter 22

**~A/N~**

 **We've reached the last chapter! I hope yall enjoyed this. I may have twisted some of the rules of the fairies a little bit but hey, creative license! I want to keep writing and would love to accept some prompts from readers so if you have anything you want me to write about Regina send them my way!**

Chapter 22

Katelyn stared at Regina's chest moving up and down. She nervously bit at her fingernails and tried to ignore everything else in the room.

Ever since Regina had rescued her in the Enchanted Forest years ago, Katelyn had known that Regina was different. Nobody believed that Regina had any redeeming qualities in the Enchanted Forest, but Katelyn knew that there was another side to her.

And now in Storybrook Regina was showing everybody that she could be different, but nobody would believe her. Even after Regina had saved her and healed her, they couldn't see it.

It seemed that the Charming clan, Henry included, were finally seeing that she was changing, but Katelyn couldn't help but fear that it was too late. That Regina wouldn't make it through this. She just looked so pale and weak.

Katelyn looked over and saw Henry sitting quietly at the end of the couch. She noticed that he looked unusually worried. Usually she felt like he just looked smug but now, it was different.

The adults were standing over next to Regina's desk trying desperately to come up with a way to help Regina. Katelyn gingerly stood up and walked over to the chair next to Henry.

"What do you want?" Henry mumbled, not looking at Katelyn.

"Um," Katelyn stuttered. "I just wanted to apologize." Henry's head whipped around.

"What?"

"I wanted to apologize for how I spoke to you earlier. You are Regina's son."

"Yes. Yes I am," Henry said firmly.

"But you need to show her that," Katelyn said. "She loves you desperately but she thinks that you don't care about her at all." Henry dropped his head. "Every time you ignore her it kills her inside. Every time. I haven't known her for long but I know that she deserves better because she is truly a caring person. She doesn't always show it well but she is."

Katelyn watched as a tear rolled down Henry's cheek.

"How can I fix this?" Henry asked. "I can't lose my mom." Katelyn just shrugged.

Henry just suddenly sat up.

"The Blue Fairy!" he shouted. The adults in the corner turned around.

"What about the Blue Fairy?" Emma asked.

"She can heal my mom!"

"Henry," David said gently. "Blue and Regina have a lot of problems with each other. I don't know if she's going to be willing to help."

"But what if we wish for it? Doesn't she have to help?"

"You aren't from the Enchanted Forest," Snow said. "I don't know if it would work for you."

"But I am," Katelyn said, standing up. "And I wished over and over as a child and when I was married to Robert for somebody to help me but the fairies never showed up. So they owe me."

Everybody looked at each other.

"Its worth a shot," Emma said, looking down at Regina's still form. Snow picked up her phone and called Blue, who quickly appeared in Regina's study.

Blue took one look at Regina on the sofa and shook her head.

"I'm not helping her," Blue said. Snow stopped her.

"You're helping her," Snow said, and pointed at Katelyn. Katelyn stood tall despite Blue's glare.

"I wish for you to save Regina," Katelyn said. Blue just laughed.

"You're not a child. I don't have to grant you anything."

"I may not be a child anymore, but I wished over and over in the Enchanted Forest to be saved when I was a child. Between my father and my husband I took enough abuse that I should have been granted something. But I wasn't."

Blue stood there looking slightly guilty. Granny couldn't help but enjoy seeing Blue being put in her place. Katelyn took a deep breath and continued.

"I don't want anything for me. But Regina deserves more than she's been given and so you're going to help her now."

Blue took another look at Regina and sighed. She removed her wand from her cloak and, after glancing at Katelyn one more time, waved it over Regina.

Regina's color immediately improved and she began breathing normally. Katelyn nodded at Blue, and then Blue disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Katelyn turned to the sofa when she heard coughing. Regina's eyes were fluttering open and Katelyn quickly knelt next to her, with Henry right behind her.

"What…what happened?"

"We found you," Henry said. Regina's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Why would you help me? Why didn't you just leave me there?"

Katelyn took her hand and looked at her seriously.

"Because you helped me once."


End file.
